[N^o 33 From May Gen Knox &c &c &c] War department December 28^th 1792 Sir, I have received from Brigadier General Williamson by express letters dated the 9^th & 18^th ult^mo enclosing copies to you of the 15^th November. It appears by the letters of the deputy Quarter master that the express left Fort Washington on the 4^th instant, although there are no letters of a later date than the 19^th of November. It is highly probable the savages who attacked Major Adair are the party mentioned to you by William Smalley who was Major Trueman's interpreter. It is highly proper that you should cause enquiry to be made into the nature and degree of the confusion of stores of clothing complained of by Brigadier General Williamson. Indeed I do not know how this is to be conducted with precision, until, the reports ordered by Brigadier Gen^l Williamson shall have been received. Major Craig I have understood always has been a man of method. the clothing was transported from this place under circumstances of peculiar order as will appear by the letter herewith enclosed certified by Samuel Hodgdon. The greatest care was directed in packing and marking the boxes, hogsheads & bales which contained the aforesaid clothing, and it was a rule invariably observed to forward with the waggons to Major Craig a compleat invoice of the boxes &c in each waggon and the waggoner gave a receipt for the contents of each box before he left the city, and did not receive his pay excepting on a male advance until he produced a receipt from Major Craig specifying each article to him delivered at Pittsburgh. And further, an invoice was sent to each Captain of the clothing forwarded them for the use of his company and duplicates of the amount thereof were forwarded from the War office. Letters were also written to the commanding Officers of the first and second regiments relativity to the said clothing and Major Craig has at all times the most minute direction respecting the distribution and forwarding the packages which were consigned to his care. There were no precautions neglected to prevent mistakes, and if any have arisen they cannot with justice be charged to any persons who have the direction of the business in Philadelphia. The clothing for the first United States regiment was packed & marked for Lieut Britt pay master of the said regiment & amounted to six hundred and sixty suits for the non commissioned & privates. For the second regiment it was packed & directed to the commanding Officers of companies, because they were posted at different parts of the frontiers. the clothing was compleat for each companies according to the formation thereof, pointed out to you in my letter of the 20^th July last. Besides the above clothing — Rifle clothing was forwarded to Major Craig, who was directed to distribute the same excepting for those companies who rendevoused at the mouth of the big Kenhawa — for those Captains it was particularly marked. Rifle clothing was also sent to Capt Richard S. Howe of the old second United States regiment upon the supposition his company should do duty as Riflemen. I hope this complaint may not have been excited by M^r Hunter, from some motives or other which require explanation. "The complaints relatively to the pay department in the district of Brigadier General Williamson requires an instant remedy. It certainly would have been a good opportunity by Major Rudulph's detachment to have forwarded the money for the troops below, and you must have had some powerful reason for withholding it. The two months pay in readiness to be forwarded as waiting until some suitable person shall be found to officiate for M^r Swan until he arrives at head Quarters as M^r Britte's presence and money must be indispensable with his Sublegion. I presume from the estimate you transmitted of the paymaster that M^r Britte has stile the money he received last April or may if so this is an evil which ought not to exist for a moment. The Secretary of the treasury is highly desirous the troops should be paid up punctually every month. But he & the comptroller of the treasury consider the system for the payment heretofore directed as essential for the order & propriety of the business — this system may have its defects and it may require in some instances to be accommodated to the necessarily dispersed situation of the troops. No person here can be found to officiate until the arrival of M^r Swan, the money for two months pay of your army will be forwarded by the third of January next to be paid under your orders according to the temporary arrangements you may have made. I hope you may have received the letter of Brigadier Williamson of the 13^th and its five enclosures as it is of considerable importance. but if any accident from thence happened to it, copies shall be forwarded to you as soon as can be made. H